Employed and self-employed tax calculator 2026/27
Got a job and a side income? This free employed and self-employed tax calculator shows your real take-home pay for 2026/27 when you have both PAYE employment and self-employed or freelance income, the classic Tesco job plus Uber Eats, NHS role plus weekend freelancing, or office job plus an Etsy shop. It taxes the two incomes together, the way HMRC actually does, using official rates.
Why you can't just use two separate calculators
This is the mistake almost everyone makes. A salary calculator and a sole-trader calculator each give you a full £12,570 Personal Allowance and each start at the 20% basic rate. But HMRC gives you one Personal Allowance and one set of bands across your combined income. Add your job and your self-employment together first, then tax the total.
| £35,000 job + £15,000 self-employed | Two separate calculators | This combined calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | £12,570 twice (wrong) | £12,570 once (correct) |
| Income Tax | about £4,772 | £7,286 |
| Difference | about £2,514 more tax than the separate calculators suggest | |
That gap is the whole reason this calculator exists, it gives you the figure HMRC will actually charge.
How your combined take-home is worked out
Income Tax is charged on your employment income plus your self-employed profit, through one Personal Allowance and one set of bands (20%, 40%, 45%, or Scotland's own bands). National Insurance is charged per source: employee Class 1 on the job, and Class 4 on the self-employed profit. If you earn a lot from both, HMRC caps the total National Insurance and refunds any overpayment through Self Assessment.
Just one income?
If you only have a job, use the UK salary calculator. If you're only self-employed, use the sole trader & freelance tax calculator. Run a limited company? Try the limited company & contractor calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this employed and self-employed tax calculator free?
- Yes. It's completely free, with no sign-up. Enter your job income and your self-employed income and it shows your real combined take-home for the 2026/27 tax year, after Income Tax and National Insurance, using official HMRC rates.
- How is tax calculated if I have a job and self-employed income?
- HMRC adds your employment income and your self-employed profit together and taxes the total. You get one £12,570 Personal Allowance and one set of tax bands across both incomes, not one each. Your job pays its tax through PAYE and your self-employment through Self Assessment, but the bands are worked out on the combined figure.
- Can I just add a salary calculator and a self-employed calculator together?
- No, and this is the most common mistake. Each separate calculator gives you a full £12,570 Personal Allowance and starts at the 20% basic rate, so adding them understates your real tax. For example, a £35,000 job plus £15,000 of self-employed income works out about £2,500 higher than two separate calculators suggest, because you only get one Personal Allowance. This combined calculator gets it right.
- Do I pay National Insurance on both my job and my self-employment?
- Yes. You pay employee Class 1 National Insurance on your job (8% between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above) and Class 4 National Insurance on your self-employed profit (6% between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above). If you earn a lot from both, HMRC applies an 'annual maximum' so you don't overpay, and refunds any excess through Self Assessment.
- Do I need to do a Self Assessment tax return?
- If your self-employed income is more than £1,000 in the tax year, you generally need to register for Self Assessment and file a return, even though your job is taxed through PAYE. The return reconciles the tax across both incomes. This calculator estimates the combined position; always confirm with HMRC or an accountant.